CLARIFICATION: Our original story, “Tree Bombs to Combat Deforestation,” was based on a report by the blog Treehugger, which cited an original article published in 1999. We can find no indication that the idea ever received funding for trials or implementation. A corrected story follows:

Look up in the sky. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … a tree?

In 1999, an MIT researcher designed a plan to take a fleet of old, unused C-130 Hercules cargo planes – originally created to drop land mines – and recommission them to drop “tree bombs” that would aid growth in deforested areas.

Tired of dealing with bulky bike helmets? The Hövding might be the answer for you.

Designed by two Swedish university students for their thesis project, this novel device cleverly combines the best of bike helmets and airbags. Just zip the nifty little Hövding scarf around your neck (left photo), and you’re good to go.

If, heaven forbid, you should find yourself in an accident, a set of gyroscopes and accelerometers will sense the impending crash and immediately inflate the helmet (right photo).

Kids dressed as Rubik’s Cubes promote a contest for solving the puzzles.

This past weekend (Oct. 23-24), some of the eGFI team were lucky enough to visit the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo on and near the National Mall of Washington, DC. Between giant kaleidoscopes, robot soccer competitions, Bill Nye the Science Guy, live music, explosions, and DIY rockets, there was more than enough to keep us occupied.

The USA Biology Olympiad, from the Center for Excellence in Education, involves nearly 10,000 students annually. It provides the motivation, curricular resources, and skills training to take them beyond their classroom experience to the level of international competitiveness.